Improvement in metal neck-yokes



UNITED T N'nQnrrcn.

WILLIAM. H. JOHNSON, OF DELHI, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF OF 111s RIGHT TO GEORGE EDWARD MARYINE, 0F SAME PLACE.

lMPROVEMENT IN METAL NECK-YOKES.

Specification formingpart of Letters Patent No. 86,425, dated January 23, 1877; application filed November 27, 1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. JOHNSON,

of Delhi, in thecounty of Delaware and State of New York, have inven ted certain Improvements in Metal Neck-Yokes, of which the following is a specification My invention consists of an improved neckyoke to be made of malleable cast-iron, as hereinafter more fully explained.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a face view of my improved device; Figs. 2 and 3, longitudinal sections, showingtwo difl'erent styles of construction; Figs. 4 and 5, transverse central sections of Figs. 2 and 3, and

Fig. 6 a view illustrating one of the details of construction.

The object of .my invention is to produce a neck-yoke which shall be at once light and ornamental in appearance, and cheap and and diameter of body at the center is rendered necessary in consequence of two facts: first, the body is necessarily perforated at that point, when this style of construction is adopted, to receive an eye, B, which carries a ring or loop, 0, through which the tongue of the vehicle passes; and, second, in addition to the weakening of the body at the center thus caused, the yoke which is supported at each end by the breast straps or chains, and the pole of the vehicle which bears at the center of the yoke,.produ ce the greatest strain at that point.

It is consequently apparentthat the yoke should be heaviest and strongest midway between the ends. The loop or ring 0 is mounted loosely in an eye, B, which, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5, is formed,with a rounded head or enlargement, Z, said enlargement occupying a position on the inside of the body A of the yoke, as shown. From this head or enlargement L there extends out through a perforation, m, in the body A, a cylindrical short neck terminating in the eye B, which carries the loop or ring 0. As stated, the head I is rounded, as are also the sides or edges of the hole or perforation m, which arrangement allows considerable play to the eye B, and avoids the cutting and wear consequent upon using square corners or edges. As before mentioned, the bodyA of the yoke maybe cast either entire or in parts, as preferred.

When cast complete in one piece the eye B will be covered or washed with any well-known solution which will prevent the molten metal from adhering to it placed in the mold in the,

proper position, and themolten metal run in around the neck of the same, this method of forming a loose joint in casting being well known and in common use, and therefore not necessary to be described further. When the body Ais cast in parts, however, a semicircular notch will be formed in each half of the body, and so located that when the two parts are secured to each other the notches shall form acircularopening. The neck of the eye B being placed in one of these notches, the two halves of the body are placed together, encircling the neck of the eye B, when, the vtwo parts are firmly joined one to the other by means of rivets 0 extending through the same, as shown in Figs. 3and 5, or by means of screws, bolts, or similar devices.

The loops d which receive the breast straps or chains may be cast on the body A, or may be formed as represented in Fig. 6, in which '01 is a loop bent up of heavy wire or small round bar-iron into the form shown. This is placed in the mold in the required position, and preferably covered with a flux to cause the molten metal to adhere to it when the same is run into the mold. To guard against the loop d pulling out when from any cause the molten metal fails to adhere firmly to it the ends of the same are bent around in such shape as prevent its being drawn out. The

neck-yoke being thus formed, is rendered mal- It is obvious thatthe construction may be considerably modified without departing from my invention, as, for instance, the yoke may be made with ribs or flanges around it at the ends and middle, between which the breaststraps and pole-loop are passed around the yoke, this form being common with wooden neck-yokes. The neck of the eye B and the loops d may be extended entirely through the yoke, but I prefer the form shown. This device is very light and ornamental, especially when polished and plated, and is also strong strong and durable, and cheap to manufacture.

Iam aware that metal neck-yokes have been made heretofore, and consequently I do not claim such broadly; but

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. As a new article of manufacture, a hollow malleable iron neck yoke constructed substantially as shown and described.

2. In combination with the metal neck-yoke A, the central ring 0 attached thereto by means of the swivel-eye B.

WILLIAM H. JOHNSON.

Witnesses WM. J. PALMER, .R. A. FRASER. 

